An industrial machine system may comprise a machine with an actuator system for providing relative motion between a machine part or operating device and a workpiece. Non-limiting examples of industrial machine systems include machines for 2D and 3D beam cutting, tube cutting, sawing, machining, milling, turning, punching, punch pressing, press-breaking, bending, welding, assembling operation and combinations of such machines and industrial automation to such machines.
Conventionally such a machine has a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) unit, NC (Numerical Control) unit and/or a PLC (Programmable Logical Control) unit giving instructions to the actuator system to perform required movements in order to perform industrial operations. The machine further has a machine controller, which comprises a computer, which may have a conventional operating system such as Windows or Linux and which is configured to give instructions to the CNC/NC/PLC unit based on machine controller instructions, such as G-code or XML. The machine controller includes or is connected to an HMI, and is configured to read programs and to gather process parameters so as to yield complete instructions to the CNC/NC/PLC unit for execution by the actuator system comprised in the machine. Conventionally, both the CNC/NC/PLC unit and the machine controller are physically included in the industrial machine, and the industrial machine forms an independent and self-contained industrial machine system wherein the machine controller forms an essential and physically connected part of the machine.
Typically, such a machine is a part of a CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) system. A CNC system may be defined so as to comprise a machine tool, referred to as a machine in this application, a part program, which is a detailed set of commands followed by the machine, and a machine controller (or machine control unit), which is a computer that stores the program and executes the commands into actions by the machine tool.
This type of conventional industrial machine system has its advantages. The machine itself forms a self-contained system which may operate individually and on its own. Therefore, this has become the de facto standard of industrial machines.
However, there is desire to control such a machine from a remote position in order to improve efficiency and operability of the machine. In U.S. Pat. No. 7,761,551 B2 a system is disclosed for providing remote control of a machine by means of secure communication between a service computer and a machine control at the machine.
The present invention aims to further improve industrial machine systems by revolutionizing this standard configuration of an industrial machine.